Nine Crimes
by Mindful Demon
Summary: "It's the wrong time, she's pulling me through, it's a small crime, and I've got no excuse..." Rebelliott, slightly angsty fluff involving their first kiss. Set during Freefall.


_So this is how it ends._ She thinks to herself bitterly, staring up at the ceiling of the submarine. _I should have seen this coming. Why didn't I see this coming? I should have stopped myself!_

_But could I have?_

She blinks, glancing over at the makeshift stretcher on the other side of the bridge with an expression similar to guilt. She's been sleeping on the floor, and it's horrible, but she's a styx; she's slept in far worse conditions in the past.

_What if this feeling... what if she feels it too? What if..._

Mentally, she slaps herself. She's procrastinating and she knows it.

_If you really want to know, man up and ask her, Rebecca!_

She knows that's what her sister would do without a doubt, and she can almost hear her voice urging her on in her head, but still, she hesitates. Her sister was completely shameless when it came to bearing her emotions. But would she be able to? What if...

_...Screw this._ Rebecca thinks determinedly, rolling out of her sleeping bag and walking over to Elliott. She sits down next to the girl, gently rousing her from her sleep, and the renegade looks up at her with sleepy hazel eyes.

Those eyes.

Rebecca's stomach does a flip, and it's all she can do not to stand up and walk back to her sleeping bag.

"Rebecca? What is it?" she murmurs, blinking the sleep from her eyes as she sits up. "Is something wrong?"

"I... yes... no, I mean..." she starts, then trails off hopelessly, glancing at the floor. What can she possibly say? What is there _to_ say?

_No turning back now,_ she reminds herself. _You'll find a way._

"Elliott... can I ask you something? You know, between friends?" she begins, and Elliott looks up at her with curious brown eyes. Rebecca curses herself. _Damn it, Rebecca, this is such a frickin cliche! What's wrong with you? Of all the ways to start a conversation with the girl you..._

"Sure, shoot." Elliott says, breaking her train of thought.

"I... Do you... have you ever... What do you do if... Have you ever thought you liked someone?" she's staring at the ground again, and there's a moment's pause as she awkwardly looks back up, a blush spreading across her ivory skin. "You know... Like... _that?"_

Elliott frowns, looking at Rebecca as if trying to figure her out. There's no denying that she's been caught off guard by Rebecca's question, but still, she's not letting her hopes get too high. If there is something more behind this late night visit, it's certainly not about her.

_Come on Elliott, don't make a fool of yourself._

"Uh... yes, I suppose... yeah, I have." she says at last, and Rebecca rubs the back of her neck nervously.

"And... what... I mean, well, how do you tell someone something like that, exactly?"

Elliott's staring now, albeit as discreetly as she can. She's taking in every detail, as if her life depends on it.

"I'd just tell them." she says, her throat dry. She doesn't dare hope. _I'm probably misinterpreting..._ But still, Rebecca is very close to her. Closer than usual, her mind points out, but she shoots the thought down.

_She's looking for comfort. She doesn't want me, not like I want her._

"So... what... like, I love you?" Rebecca asks quietly, her voice failing her at the very thought of directing such a sentence towards the renegade before her._ I shouldn't have done this, this was stupid, what's wrong with me, this is so cliche that it actually burns, oh god, what if..._ She finds her thoughts come to a grinding halt as she looks back up at Elliott, who shrugs as nonchalantly as she can given their current situation.

"I guess."

"I don't think I could say that." Rebecca responds immediately, practically cutting Elliott off. "I mean, I'd be too... I'd be too worried."

"Worried about what?"

Rebecca swallows, but doesn't hesitate at all at her answer. "Worried it would change things." she says miserably, and now Elliott's heart is racing, and oh _god_, how desperately she wishes the Styx girl was talking about her!

"I would just tell them." she says again, scoffing to mentally. Who am I to be saying this? I can't even follow my own advice!

Rebecca steels herself. "I like you. A lot." she croaks, and Elliott just smiles warmly, letting herself believe for just a second that Rebecca is actually speaking to her.

"Yeah, exactly like that." she says with a smile. "Now is there anything else you want to talk about? Because we're leaving pretty early tomorrow, I and I want to.. I..."

She trails off, looking up to meet Rebecca's gaze. The girl is staring at her sadly, miserably... then the styx girl leans forward, crashing their lips together desperately, kissing her with so much grief and fear and need that she can't help but respond. She pushes Rebecca up against the wall and kisses her hard and slow, drawing out a quiet whimper as Rebecca wraps her arms around the other girl, pulling her closer.

They break apart, gasping for air.

"What the hell?" Elliott whispers, but it's more of a gasp, and she doesn't know what she's doing and the world is spinning and it's like someone's lit her on fire, but she really doesn't mind.

Rebecca is staring at her like a deer in the headlights. She's in shock. She can't believe what's just happened.

She kissed Elliott...

_And Elliott kissed back._

"Do you...?"

"Yes."

"Me?"

Elliott blinks. "Yeah." she says breathlessly, then she's pulling Rebecca in again, and god, this is everything she imagined and more. It's softer, more gentle than before, almost like she's asking permission; _is this okay?_

And Rebecca's tangling her slender fingers in Elliott's hair, pulling her closer. She can't get enough.

_Yes. Yes, this is so, so okay!_

She's never felt this way before. For the first time in her life, everything is okay. She's not thinking about Dominion, about her sister's expectations, or her abusive late father. She's on cloud nine, and she knows then that this is what she wants, this is who she is. This is the real Rebecca. This is who she wants to be.

Elliott can't think straight anymore. It's like she's burning. It's the only way she can describe it. Rebecca's soft lips on hers... it's all she wants, all she needs. She lets herself get lost in the sensation; Rebecca tastes like licorice.

How could this _possibly_ be wrong?

The two break apart, breath coming in ragged, shallow gasps. Rebecca's eyes are wide. She brushes her fingers over her slightly parted lips in disbelief, as if trying to confirm that they're still there, that they're really hers.

Their eyes meet, onyx on chocolate brown, and they're silent for a moment.

Elliott breaks the silence. Two simple words shatter the moment, shatter them, and they watch as the world comes crashing down.

She simply can't help it. She needs to know.

"You're leaving."

It's not a question, it's a statement, and Rebecca looks away, unable to meet her eyes.

"Yes."

"When?"

"Tomorrow."

"Stay."

Suddenly Rebecca looks weary, and she glances back at Elliott, meeting her gaze for an instant. The styx girl's eyes are dull; the youthful energy and life that the renegade had witnessed mere seconds ago is gone, replaced by a tired, miserable look of defeat.

"You know I can't do that." she whispers at last. "My sister..."

Elliott looks at her sadly. "I know," she whispers, "I know."

Finally Rebecca gathers the courage to look the renegade in the eyes, and all she can see is the hurt so similarly reflected in her own.

"Elliott... I..."

"Sh." the older girl says softly. "Just come here."

For what's probably the first time in her life, Rebecca does as she's told, moving in closer to Elliott. The renegade takes her hand, looking her right in the eyes, and Rebecca glances away, trying to hide the tears of frustration in her eyes.

"Rebecca, listen to me." Elliott says quietly. "I'll wait, I promise. I'll wait for you... Rebecca, look at me." Rebecca looks up, and Elliott tilts the girl's head, bringing their lips together in gentle kiss. Rebecca makes a quiet sound of discontent in the back of her throat as Elliott breaks away, but says nothing, dazed for a moment. God, those eyes... "This war will end some day. But until it does... remember that." Elliott says with a sad little smile. "Okay?"

"Okay." Rebecca agrees, a hint of a smile tugging at her lips.

Elliott lies down, moving over to make room for Rebecca. "Stay with me tonight?"

Rebecca nods, curling up next to Elliott and closing her eyes. Elliott wraps her arms around the smaller girl, holding her close.

They lie there in silence for a while, each taking comfort in the other's warmth.

"Will you really wait?"

Rebecca's voice is tiny, unsure, afraid, and it catches Elliott off guard. She kisses Rebecca's neck reassuringly.

"Of course." she murmurs against soft ivory skin.

"Promise?"

"Promise." Elliott whispers, before closing her eyes.

.

It couldn't be more true.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Okay, I know this isn't my usual style. I'm not a fluff kind of person but I just couldn't help myself; I felt these two needed a story that wasn't miserable and angsty and depressed/suicidal. So thank me, cause this is probably the only Rebelliott fluff that you'll find on this site.**

**Review, because...**

**...I dunno. Review or a rabid dog-monkey will come to your house and eat your pet rabbit. If you don't have a pet rabbit, it'll go to someone else's house and eat their rabbit.**

**Think of the rabbits, folks.**


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